TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS,EARL OF PEMBROKE AND MONTGOMERY;BARON HERBERT OF CARDIFF, LORD ROSS OFKENDAL, PAR, FITZHUGH, MARMION, ST. QUINTIN,AND SHURLAND; LORD-PRESIDENT OF HIS MAJESTY’SMOST HONOURABLE PRIVY - COUNCIL; AND LORDLIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY OF WILTS, AND OF

SOUTH - WALES.

My Lord,

This treatise, which has grown up under your lordship’s eye, andhas ventured into the world by your order, does now, by a naturalkind of right, come to your lordship for .that protection, whichyou several years since promised it. It is not that I think anyname, how great soever, set at the beginning of a book, will beable to cover the faults that are to be found in it. Things inprint must stand and fall by their own worth, or the reader’sfancy. But there being nothing more to be desired for truth,than a fair unprejudiced hearing, no body is more likely to pro-cure me that, than your lordship; who are allowed to have gotso intimate an acquaintance with her, in her more retiredrecesses. Your lordship is known to have so far advanced yourspeculations in the most abstract and general knowledge of things,beyond the ordinary reach, or common methods, that yourallowance and approbation of the design of this treatise, will atleast preserve it from being condemned without reading ; andwill prevail to have those parts a little weighed, which mightotherwise, perhaps, be thought to deserve no consideration forbeing somewhat out of the common road. The imputation ofnovelty is a terrible charge amongst those, who judge of men’sheads, as they do of their perukes, by the fashion ; and canallow none to be right, but the received doctrines. Truthscarce ever yet carried it by vote, any where, at its first appear-1 anee;